Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Rome (Fides Service) - Welcoming the participants at the Symposium of African and European Bishops which opened yesterday afternoon 10 November in Rome, the president of SECAM Symposium of the Bishops’ Conferences of African and Madagascar, Archbishop John Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria said “It is no exaggeration to say that this meeting is an epochal event. It is in fact the first time that the associations of European and African Bishops’ Conferences organise a meeting of this kind”. The theme of the Symposium, organised by the Council of European Episcopal Conferences (CCEE) and the Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) with the patronage of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples and collaboration from various aid agencies, is “Communion and solidarity”.
“This symposium is the answer to a deeply felt both need in Africa and in Europe - Archbishop Onaiyekan recalled-. We live in provoking times full of challenges which demand new strategies and approaches. This is the sense of the call made by Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II : “Duc in altum” - a call to lower our nets in deeper waters, to try new things, to be bold, audacious, creative and innovative.” After tracing the development of relations between Africa and Europe, which were forged in ancient times, and the growth of the Church in Africa, Archbishop Onaiyekan said: “In the new world in which we are living we have discovered the need to build new relations based on mutual trust, communion and solidarity. Since Vatican II, the Church in Africa has gradually taken its place as an adult among the other Sisters Churches in the world. The Churches of Europe and Africa have met frequently and built reciprocal relations in this context of universal Church especially on the occasion of Synods of Bishops and other similar collegial encounters.”
The President of SECAM underlined three hoped-for results of the present Symposium from the African point of view: consolidated organic pastoral solidarity between the Church in Africa and the Church in Europe, with mutual enrichment; identification of more effective ways to evangelise structures of relations between the two continents; agreement on future plans, structure and programme, so that what has started with the Symposium may continue in the years to come.
In his introductory address the President of the Commission of European Bishops Conferences, Bishop Amedee Grab, of Coira in Switzerland said “this symposium is a new step in communion among the Churches of our two continents but it is part of a long and rich history of encounter and collaboration. It suffices to think of missionary activity or of programmes and meetings organised regularly by various Bishops’ conferences of Africa and Europe.”
Bishop Grab illustrated the symposium programme and discussion themes: “We will start with in depth reflection on the cultural situation, vision of humanity, understanding of social relations, the situation of evangelisation in Europe and Africa today. This reflection will guide all our work as together we identify - not superficially or mechanically - possible reciprocal gifts or help between the Churches of our continents.” The second day will be devoted to the subject of collaboration starting from in depth reflection on its theological-ecclesiological and anthropological roots. The theme for reflection on the final day of the Symposium will be “Co-responsibility for a Church renewed in her service of the world”. In the morning a Concelebration of the Eucharist in St Peter’s Basilica will be followed by an audience with Pope John Paul II. In the afternoon a round table discussion on existing experiences of sharing between Europe and Africa will offer a sign of hope and give impulse to Churches determined to walk ever more closely together. The last topic: “Africa and Europe together for the world community of peoples”, will extend the symposium’s horizons to consider the duty of the Church in Europe and the Church in Africa with regard to the world. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 11/11/2004; Righe 45, Parole 630)
